The Eye Glasses

The Eye Glasses by Stephen Halpert

It had been years since Jim’s last eye exam. After much discussion, his wife Marie finally convinced him that it was high time for him to see an optometrist, upgrade his prescriptions and spring for three new pairs of glasses: reading, working on his computer, and for driving and everyday use.

His optometrist carefully tested his eyes and Jim chose silver tinted frames that darkened in bright sunlight for driving and everyday use. His computer frames were thin slits of tinted blue titanium with a distinct sci fi style that he could hardly feel across the bridge of his nose, while his reading glasses were in an old-fashioned gold frame.

“Now take your time with these,” his optometrist cautioned. They might take a little getting used to. Take them off and cup your eyes in your palms if you should feel stress or discomfort.”

His three new pairs cost him better than $900, a far cry from the old $5.00 pair he had bought years earlier from the drug store. 

“He probably over charged me,” he grumbled. He noticed flashing lights around him as he drove home. He stopped in his driveway and called his optometrist to complain about that.

His optometrist had no idea what he was talking about but to be polite and help him adjust to his new lenses he suggested Jim stop in the next day for possible adjustments.

His wife Marie opened the door and smiled. “I like your new glasses.”

Jim’s eyes widened. He blinked. “You’re naked! Aren’t you going to put something on?”

She frowned, looked down, then back at him. “You’re not very funny. What do you mean? This is my new suede jumpsuit.”

He shook his head, took off his new, everyday frames and palmed his eyes. “I’m sorry but for a minute there you looked undressed.”

She smiled again, “What are you insinuating?”

He shook his head.  “It must be how the light reflects against the suede.”

“Why don’t you say what you mean?” she grinned. “If you want me walking around undressed like that, take me to Miami.”

“It’s not that,” he tried, but their evening was off to an unexpected start. 

The following morning, he took in his new glasses, convinced that there was some defect in the glass.

But he was thwarted. The optometrist smiled and patted Jim on the shoulder. “I recommend you see a specialist. There is absolutely nothing defective about your new glasses.”

Feeling puzzled, Jim went back home. Marie was out so he picked up his newspaper, walked outside to his back porch and sat down. Intending to try them out, he put on his new reading glasses. Looking around, he was shocked to see little beings with cherubic faces and wings dancing around the flowers in their garden.

He stared at the fairies. When he turned his head, they vanished and he saw moons glowing. Shaking his head, he blinked and took off his reading glasses, replacing them with his sci fi ones.

He blinked again. Immediately, all he could see was tangled growth. He was surrounded by what appeared to be a verdant rain forest filled with exotic flowers, and teeming with animal and insect life.

Shaking his head, he went back into the house, took off the sci fi frames and looked around. Everything seemed normal. He sighed and went into the kitchen. He took out some food and sat down.

Maybe, he thought, I just have to get used to these. He picked up the everyday glasses and set them on his nose. He blinked. Again, what he saw now differed from what he had noticed when his glasses were off.

A lengthy hallway was superimposed over the room next to where he was sitting. He couldn’t really believe what he was seeing. Nevertheless, overcome with curiosity, he decided to check it out.

Putting the other two pairs of eyeglasses in his breast pocket, he stood and began to walk down the hallway. Unsure what lay ahead, he simply took one hesitant step at a time.  None of this made any sense, yet he couldn’t just sit there and hope it would all go away.

He was confused but he wouldn’t let go of the possibility that these experiences proved to him that some of the tales he had read as a boy were more true than fabricated. It seemed there was more to what he thought he knew as everyday reality.

He had always believed that there could be something more than what appeared before his eyes. He had always believed in worlds upon worlds, in alternate realities, even in aliens from outer space.   

He took off his glasses one more time, checked back at the kitchen with its normal, everyday look and put them back on. Turning his head, he saw gigantic rocks and boulders and lizards and wild birds.

He reached into his pocket and replaced his everyday fames with his reading glasses. Now he was surrounded by a lush garden. Was he seeing into an alternate reality? Shaking his head, he replaced the reading glasses with the sci fi ones. He blinked and when he opened his eyes, he was in a short order restaurant somewhere out west. He looked around and felt out of place in his polo shirt and khakis, so he hastily took the eyeglasses off.

He had enjoyed the fairies in the lush garden, so he put the reading glasses on again. Looking at the fairies, he wished Marie was with him to see them. Marie! What would she think? She would miss him and he, he would miss her. He realized he needed to find his way home. He didn’t dare blink or he might be somewhere else. How to get home?

He closed his eyes and took off his glasses. When he opened his eyes, he was at home where he lived once again. He walked to the window and looked out at the moon. He took out his three pair of eyeglasses, looked at them and set them on the kitchen table. With a sigh, he put hem into the cases they had come in. Tomorrow, he thought, reaching for his mobile phone, I’ll make an appointment with another optometrist.